How to use the clicker better

[LeahFernandez]

Good morning I just bought the course. There’s a lot of information and I’m getting a little overwhelmed but I will try little by little. When I use the clicker, I only click and give her the treat. I do not use any words “good girl” or “Luna” or anything else? What about when she pee and poop where she is suppose to ? Do I use the clicker too and treat ? Also, I knew I saw somewhere you have a puppy training and you suggest to go there first ... but i started looking into the items that I need and now I can’t find it anywhere. Can you tell me where that was ? Thank you have a great day 

[Adrienne]

Hi there,

Welcome to the forums!

Clicker training is usually just click/treat. It is mostly used for the acquisition stage of learning, so after some time, once the behavior becomes fluent and the dog understands the exercise, we can stop using the clicker and simply offer praise, like "good girl" along with some type of reinforcement.

When she is about to pee and poop where she is supposed to, you can also offer praise followed by a treat (which you should always carry in your pocket/treat bag since it happens unpredictably during the day). Carrying a clicker around all day though and being able to hold it the correct side to effectively click right that split second when the dog decides to squat can be challenging, so you may be better off using your voice so you're not caught off guard. Great timing is paramount here: praise too fast and the dog may stop peeing/pooping in hopes of the reward, praise to late the dog may be thinking you are praising for walking away from the potty area. 

Puppy content can be found here scrolling down: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/

If you have any specific questions about puppies that you don't find covered, feel free to post it here.

Happy training!